Laws & Regulations

Chemical Safety Alert: Emergency Isolation for Hazardous Material Fluid Transfer Systems - Application and Limitations of Excess Flow Valves

While excess flow valves (EFV) are in extensive service and have prevented numerous pipe or hose breaks from becoming much more serious incidents, experience shows that in some cases the EFV did not perform as intended, usually because of misapplication.

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Chapter 3: Five-Year Accident History

A five year accident history must be completed for each covered process, and all accidental release events meeting specified criteria must be reported in the Risk Management Plan (RMP) for that process.

Topical Backgrounder: Chemical Safety in Your Community: EPA's New Risk Management Program

This May 1999 document is part of a series of publications on the RMP and issues related to chemical emergency management. Explains how the RMP requirements pick up where the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act left off.

Chemical Safety Alert: Hazards of Delayed Coker Unit (DCU) Operations

EPA and OSHA jointly publish this Chemical Safety Alert/Safety and Health Information Bulletin (CSA/SHIB) to increase awareness. DCU is a severe form of thermal cracking requiring high temperatures for long periods, for refining crude oils.

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Chapter 7: Prevention Program (Program 3)

The OSHA Process Safety Management program has legal authority for on-site consequences, EPA's Prevention Program for offsite consequences, so your process hazard analysis (PHA) team may have to assess new hazards to the public and offsite environment.

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Appendix A: 40 CFR part 68/Selected NAICS Codes

The full text of Part 68, Chemical Accident Prevention provisions, includes hazard assessment, emergency response, threshold quantities for regulated substances, reporting requirements, and the Risk Management Plan.

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Appendix C: Technical Assistance

Resources available to assist warehousing facilities include the Office of Emergency Management website, EPCRA/Superfund/RCRA/CAA hotline, OSHA website and documents and training program, and American Institute of Chemical Engineers publications.

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Introduction

If you handle, manufacture, use, or store any of the toxic and flammable substances (e.g., chlorine, ammonia) listed in Appendix A above the specified threshold quantities in a process, you are required to develop and implement a risk management plan.

RMP Guidance for Warehouses - Appendix D: OSHA Guidance on PSM

This text is taken directly from OSHA's appendix C to the Process Safety Management standard (29 CFR 1910.119). Compiled information required by this standard, including material safety data sheets (MSDS), is essential to process hazards analysis (PHA).

Topical Backgrounder: New Ways to Prevent Chemical Incidents

Part of a May 1999 series of publications on the Risk Management Program Rule and issues related to chemical emergency management. Explains how RMP compliance and the impact of right-to-know will reduce hazards.

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Chapter 10: Implementation

The implementing agency is the federal, state, or local agency taking the lead for implementation and enforcement of part 68. They will review Risk Management Plans, select some for audits, and conduct on-site inspections.

Fact Sheet: Clean Air Act Section 112(r): Accidental Release Prevention / Risk Management Plan Rule

EPA is required to publish regulations and guidance for chemical accident prevention at facilities that pose the greatest risk of harm from accidental releases of regulated flammable and toxic substances above threshold quantities.

Chemical Safety Alert: Catastrophic Failure of Storage Tanks

Aboveground, atmospheric storage tanks can fail when flammable vapors in the tank explode and break either the shell-to-bottom or side seam, resulting in hazardous release accidents. Proper maintenance practices can help prevent accidents.

Topical Backgrounder: How Safe Am I? Helping Communities Evaluate Chemical Risks

Part of the May 1999 Guides to Environmental Risk Management Series created by the National Safety Council. Explains how RMPs will help prevent emergency chemical releases, reduce risk from exposure to hazards, and minimize consequences.

Topical Backgrounder: Evaluating Chemical Hazards in the Community: Using RMP's Offsite Consequence Analysis

Part of a May 1999 series on the Risk Management Program Rule and issues related to chemical emergency management. Explains hazard versus risk, worst-case and alternative release scenarios, flammable endpoints and toxic endpoints.

Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Advisory: Hydrogen Fluoride

This advisory recommends ways Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and chemical facilities can reduce risks posed by the presence of hydrogen fluoride (HF), a strong inorganic acid used to manufacture CFCs, in their communities.

Permitting of Forest Oil's Kustatan Production Facility and Osprey Platform Pursuant to the Alaska SIP

This document is part of the Title V Policy and Guidance Database.

Stationary Source Permit Applicability of Emissions from Automobile Roll-Off Testing

This document is part of the Title V Policy and Guidance Database.

Source Definition Issue for KN Power - Front Range Energy Associates, LLC/PSCo Generating Facility

This document is part of the Title V Policy and Guidance Database.

U.S. Geologic Survey/EPA Agreement on the Management of Water Quality Data

Agreement between the USGS Water Resources Division and the EPA Assessment and Watershed Protection Division on the Solution of the STORET/NWIS Compatibility Issued May 17, 2000.